Dempsey stands by move to suppress documents

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey yesterday stood firmly over a decision by his officials to suppress documents concerning the planned closure of a teacher training college despite trenchant criticism from the Information Commissioner.

Commissioner Emily O’Reilly has described the failure to provide Madeleine Mulrennan, the President of St Catherine’s College of Home Economics in Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, with information about the planned transfer of the college to Sligo as a significant omission and a serious defect in the decision making process.

Ms Mulrennan had sought the information under the Freedom of Information Act but was refused. That decision was overturned by Ms O’Reilly.